147 You Are Not a Machine: Leading with Energy That Lasts with Kathy Oneto
Release Date: 07/09/2025
147 You Are Not a Machine: Leading with Energy That Lasts with Kathy Oneto
Mindfulness Manufacturing
In manufacturing, we’re all about meeting goals, staying productive, and keeping up with new and ever-changing technology and machinery. If you’re a busy manufacturing leader, it might feel impossible to balance your goals and your role in your plant with setting boundaries, prioritizing your energy, and avoiding burn-out. But there is a way to create a sustainable path toward your goals—and you can find out more in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with guest Kathy Oneto. Kathy is a consultant, advisor, facilitator, and executive coach, who shares powerful lessons on how...
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146 Manufacturing with Meaning: How Vision Motivates Results
Mindfulness Manufacturing
In manufacturing, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day production numbers, KPIs, and hitting targets. But what about the bigger picture? How do we inspire our teams to not only do great work, but to actually want to be part of something greater? In this new episode with guest Simon Vetter, we dive deep into an overlooked-yet-powerful aspect of manufacturing leaderships: vision. Simon is a Vision Architect, executive coach, and speaker who helps leaders cultivate vision-driven, engaging environments. He’s also one of the authors of Leading with Vision: The Leader’s Blueprint for...
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145 Big Freakin' Change: Leading Manufacturing Through Uncertainty with Cara Moeller Poppitt
Mindfulness Manufacturing
Modern manufacturing leaders are currently facing unprecedented shifts, from tariffs and labor shortages to rapidly evolving new technologies. In the words of recent Mindfulness Manufacturing guest Cara Moeller Poppitt, manufacturing is seeing some “big freakin'’ change!” As the founder of two award-winning companies, Cara ranks among the top 2% of all female entrepreneurs. Through her speaking and coaching, she now guides thousands of other business leaders toward unlocking their full potential, breaking down barriers, and taking bold action to achieve their highest aspirations....
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144 From the Casino to the Factory Floor: How to Play to Win with Joel Block
Mindfulness Manufacturing
What does successful manufacturing leadership have in common with winning big at the casino? It’s all about being an advantage player! In this episode, guest Joel Block breaks down the strategies you need to win big, whether you’re at the casino or on the manufacturing floor. Joel is a former professional blackjack player, who later took his talents to Wall Street to work in venture capital and hedge funds. He’s a dealmaker, strategist, and trusted advisor who helps others grow the mindset they need to outpace the competition and win the game. In this episode, Joel shares unique stories...
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143 Beyond the Hammer: Transforming Manufacturing Leadership with Brian Gottleib
Mindfulness Manufacturing
In manufacturing, many leaders try to use the same tools to address different problems. But just like a hammer won’t work for all projects around your house, your routine leadership approach might not work for all your team members. This means you need to go “beyond the hammer” and find ways to have deeper interactions with your team. The hammer analogy comes from Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams by Brian Gottleib. In this episode, Brian shares more about the lessons and insights in Beyond the Hammer, plus offers actionable...
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142 HR Partnerships in Executive Coaching with Kristin Rivait and Joe Carrothers
Mindfulness Manufacturing
When there’s a leadership shift in a manufacturing organization it leads to major change—and brings its own unique challenges like new team dynamics, cultural shifts, and general growing pains. With the right approach, a change in leadership can also lead to valuable opportunities for growth. Just ask Joe Carrothers and Kristin Rivait from SWT Group. Joe is the president of SWT Group who moved from being the CFO to being the president of the organization, and Kristin is SWT Group’s HR director who worked closely with Joe during this unique leadership transition. In this story-filled...
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141 Negotiation Strategies for the Manufacturing Floor with Fotini Iconomopoulos
Mindfulness Manufacturing
On the manufacturing floor, you have dozens of everyday opportunities for negotiation, from talking with a team member about an upcoming pay raise to trying to get a better deal from a supplier. In your everyday negotiations, what can you do to say less, get more, and make effective changes? You need to master the art of negotiation—and in this episode, guest Fotini Iconomopoulos is here to share the tools you need to know. Fotini Iconomopoulos is a master communicator and negotiator based in Toronto. She’s also the author of In this episode, she shares more about the power of...
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140 De-Escalation and Conflict Prevention: Keys to Manufacturing Safety with Carol Cambridge
Mindfulness Manufacturing
When your manufacturing organization is experiencing a crisis, the last thing you want to do is add more oil to the fire! But in a technical industry like manufacturing, many people don’t have the skills they need to safely and effectively address a dangerous situation, like how to de-escalate a conflict or communicate a safety issue to their team. Carol Cambridge is here to help bring more safety to your organization! Carol is an authority on workplace violence, active shooter, and workplace conflict. She’s also the founder of the Stay Safe Project, where she teaches others how to...
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139 Embracing Discomfort to Manufacture Resilience with Paul Taylor
Mindfulness Manufacturing
In manufacturing, we’re all familiar with stress. But did you know that a lack of challenges and too much comfort can also have a negative impact on your health, mindset, and productivity? This is the core concept Paul Taylor presents in his great book As a former British Royal Navy crew member and a current Ph.D. candidate in applied psychology, Paul has in-depth knowledge about stress, resilience, and performance. In this episode on stress, comfort, and psychological safety, Paul draws from his own experiences and research to delve deeper into why discomfort and challenging...
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138 Cost-Savings for Manufacturing: Deliberate Creativity with Dr. Amy Climer
Mindfulness Manufacturing
To find improved cost-savings and better team dynamics, there’s a solution—more creativity! In the technical world of manufacturing, creativity isn’t always a priority, but in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, guest Dr. Amy Climer is here to show why deliberate creativity is the key to driving improvement and cost savings. With a Ph.D in Leadership and Change, Dr. Climer is a speaker, trainer, and coach who teaches teams how to innovate on demand. She is the author of Deliberate Creative Teams: How to Lead for Innovative Results written to help leaders understand how to...
info_outlineIn manufacturing, we’re all about meeting goals, staying productive, and keeping up with new and ever-changing technology and machinery. If you’re a busy manufacturing leader, it might feel impossible to balance your goals and your role in your plant with setting boundaries, prioritizing your energy, and avoiding burn-out.
But there is a way to create a sustainable path toward your goals—and you can find out more in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with guest Kathy Oneto. Kathy is a consultant, advisor, facilitator, and executive coach, who shares powerful lessons on how professionals can avoid burn-out, align their ambitions, and design sustainable paths toward success. She’s also the author of Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work. In this episode, Kathy talks more about her book and shares actionable strategies for managing the intense pressures of manufacturing, establishing personal boundaries, maintaining energy, and finding real meaning at work.
2:43 – With the rise of modern technology, we often feel like we have to be “on” all the time, which leads to overload
4:08 – Humans can’t operate like machines
7:52 – In manufacturing, pressures like hitting targets and dealing with setbacks can quickly became unsustainable
8:36 – To find sustainability and align your ambitions, you need to make the right choices for yourself
10:00 – Just like machines, manufacturing leaders also need regular, preventative maintenance
16:06 – Language plays a key role in helping people clarify what really matters to them
17:09 Practice micro-reflections and intentional focus
19:49 – Learn to move beyond the stigma of taking breaks and allowing time for recovery
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